The present invention relates to a foot binding assembly which is particularly adapted for use as a snowboard binding. The sport of snowboarding is rapidly growing in popularity and the number of new participants may one day exceed that of snow skiing. The present invention relates to the bindings which secure the snowboarder to his or her board. Unlike snow skiing, snowboard bindings are not designed to release when a predetermined pressure is exerted on the binding during a fall. It has been found to be far safer for a snowboarder to have both feet tightly secured to the snowboard during a fall due to the large surface area of a snowboard and the high risk of suffering an ankle or leg injury in the event only one of the bindings was to release. Nevertheless, the binding is an extremely important piece of equipment to the snowboarder. It must provide a solid securement of the boot to the board which will not release unintentionally even during a severe fall. Snowboard bindings should also provide firm and consistent support for the rider's feet and ankles which often assume rather severe and varying inclinations relative to their bodies in negotiating turns and other maneuvers. The need for support is particularly acute for the high percentage of snowboarders who prefer to snowboard in soft boots which provide little of the support for the foot and ankle areas necessary to negotiate many of the typical maneuvers which the sport allows.
In addition to providing solid securement and firm and uniform support, snowboard bindings should be capable of being easily secured to the boot and readily released. The combination of all these qualities is perhaps peculiar to snowboarding as the snowboard rider must repeatedly remove and resecure at least one of their boots to the board after each run. At the bottom of the run, a snowboarder typically detaches their rear foot from their board so they can propel themselves (or "skate") to the chair lift. While riding on the chair lift, the rear foot and boot remain disengaged from the board. When descending from the chair, the rider places his or her free foot on the top of the board and slides onto an area where the rear binding can be resecured for the ride down the hill. Resecurement of these bindings frequently requires the user to sit on the cold snow while affixing their free boot to the board. Conventional bindings also require repeated tightening and readjusting of the straps, thus causing inconvenience and discomfort.
Not only are conventional strap-type snowboard bindings awkward and difficult to secure, they can present a significant safety hazard when a snowboarder falls in deep snow. With only one foot securely affixed to the board it is not that difficult to extricate oneself from such a position. However, with both feet rigidly secured to the board and one's arms and torso buried in the snow without ready access to the straps to release at least one of the bindings, a very real risk of hypothermia and/or suffocation is created. Indeed, several snowboarders have perished each year as a result of such situations.
Thus, it is very important that a snowboard binding not only provide adequate support for the rider's feet and ankles and a solid securement of the boot to the board capable of withstanding severe falls without releasing, but also that the securement be obtained with minimal effort by the snowboarder and that the binding be readily and quickly releasable. It is also desirable that the binding be usable with the soft comfortable boots used by most snowboarders. Previous attempts to provide improved snowboard bindings have generally focused on less than the totality of these features. For example, step-in-type bindings have been developed to facilitate the securement and release of the boots to and from the snowboard. Such bindings, however, typically require an attachment to be permanently affixed to the bottom, back or sides of the boot which matches and interfaces with an attachment on the snowboard such that when the snowboarder places his or her foot onto the board in proper alignment and steps down, the boot and board are locked together. Unfortunately, such bindings generally require the purchase of new boots which are particularly designed to interface with the bindings. In addition, these boots can only be used for snowboarding and typically only on the board which contains a matching attachment. In addition, such bindings provide little support, thus requiring a use of a more rigid boot. As a result, the comfort of the soft boot preferred by many snowboarders is lost.
Unlike the bindings heretofore available, the snowboard binding of the present invention not only provides the tight securement and support necessary for snowboard riding while executing the various maneuvers snowboarding allows, it is also usable with conventional soft boots and is readily secured to and released from the rider's boots. As a result, the present invention enhances both the safety and enjoyment of snowboarding.